


Animal Liberation

by Charmsilver



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Animal Abuse, Awkward Bucky, Awkward Steve, Bucky Is a Puppy Saviour, Bucky is Bad at His Job, Hurt/Comfort, Hydra (Marvel), M/M, Non-contentious Mentions of Veganism, Plenty of Cuddling, Security Guard Bucky, Vegan Steve, activist Steve, animal rights, for plot purposes, scientific experiments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-01-24
Packaged: 2018-09-18 03:47:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9366662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charmsilver/pseuds/Charmsilver
Summary: '“Oh my God,” said the woman. “Are you okay?” Before Bucky could answer, her eyes lit up with relief and she started forwards. “Oh thank God – Steve’s here.”Bucky looked up, and through eyes watering with pain he saw another tall man running towards them, two coffee cups in hand. This man was fair-haired, blue-eyed, and in possession of the most impressive pectorals Bucky had ever seen.'Or, Steve's an animal rights activist and Bucky's the guy who's falling in love with him. Meanwhile, Bucky's boss, the director of Hydra Laboratory, is dragging Bucky into a plot that he'd really rather avoid...





	1. Meet Cute

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I've been working on this story for a little while now. I'm an animals rights person myself but I tried to keep any controversial stuff to a minimum since this is supposed to be a happy, cute fic about two punks falling in love. Writing a modern AU was definitely a challenge, especially for keeping them in character, but I gave it my best shot. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!

This was not how Bucky had expected his morning to go.

It had started out quite ordinarily: Bucky had left the house in good time, caught the bus just as it arrived at his stop, and made it into the city with just enough time to get a coffee before he clocked in.

Only, it turned out that fate had other plans for him.

He had been about to cross the threshold into his usual coffee shop when he’d glanced over to his left. A young woman was standing in a corner between two shops, holding a clipboard in trembling hands as a tall man loomed over her, gesturing wildly and yelling something about _fucking killjoys_.

Without thinking, Bucky made a sharp turn and strode over. “Hey, what’s your problem?” He said to the man, who spun around and faced Bucky, his mouth twisted into an angry scowl.

“None of your business,” he spat, literally shooting a glob of phlegm onto the pavement.

Bucky wrinkled his nose in disgust. “I’m making it my business,” said Bucky, deliberately slipping the glove off his hand and letting the cold glint of metal gleam in the morning sun.

The young woman had managed to get herself out of the corner, and she stood to the side of Bucky, still clutching her clipboard. “Please don’t fight,” she said to both of them. “I’m calling the police, okay?”

The tall man’s head whipped round and he glared at the woman, who was already dialling the numbers into her phone. With one more stormy look at Bucky, the man darted forwards, hitting Bucky square in the jaw as he sprinted past.

“Oh my god,” said the woman. “Are you okay?” Before Bucky could answer, her eyes lit up with relief and she started forwards. “Oh thank God – Steve’s here.”

Bucky looked up, and through eyes watering with pain he saw another tall man running towards them, two coffee cups in hand. This man was fair-haired, blue-eyed, and in possession of the most impressive pectorals Bucky had ever seen.

He skidded to a halt in front of Bucky and addressed the young woman, barely out of breath. “Louise, what happened? Are you all right? Who was that guy?”

But Louise held up a finger to silence him, though she nodded reassuringly and mouthed _I’m okay_. A moment later she was speaking into the phone, talking calmly to the emergency services.

Bucky didn’t hear the rest, as the man with the huge pectorals had turned his gaze onto him and was demanding to know what had happened.

“Uh –“ Bucky blinked, still rubbing his twinging jaw. He explained how the man had been threatening Louise, and how he’d punched Bucky in the face as he ran away.

Steve’s eyes widened. “Geez,” he said, eyeing Bucky’s bruised jaw. “Thanks for stepping in – I shouldn’t have left Louise on her own but I was only gone for 5 minutes to get coffees for us.” He frowned, guilt clouding his features. “Nat’s gonna kill me. You just never think this kind of thing’s gonna happen, you know?”

Catching sight of Bucky’s confused expression, Steve seemed to realise Bucky had no idea what he was talking about. “We’re volunteers,” he explained. “For PAFA. It’s an animal rights organisation.”

“Ohh.” Something clicked inside Bucky’s head. “Protecting Animals From…”

“Abuse. Right,” Steve finished, grinning, obviously pleased Bucky knew that much. His smile was bright and genuine, and Bucky grinned back. Steve stuck out his hand suddenly. “Steve,” he said, introducing himself properly. “I’m really sorry about this.”

Bucky took the offered hand and shook. “Bucky. And it’s fine.”

At that moment Louise slipped her phone back into her pocket. “Someone’s gonna come and take a statement,” she said. “They want to talk to you too – Bucky, was it? So you’ll have to stick around.” She smiled apologetically. “Sorry about that.”

“I am gonna be so late for work,” said Bucky, inwardly cringing. “I better call my boss. One sec.” He slipped out of earshot and dialled the number. Pierce was predictably displeased, but he couldn’t argue with the police and let Bucky go without much grousing.

Steve and Louise were conversing in quiet voices when Bucky stepped back into their presence, but Steve glanced up immediately, something like curiosity in his eyes. “Everything okay?” he asked.

Bucky shrugged. “They’ll live. I’m gonna go get a coffee,” he added. “You guys want anything?”

“Oh, wait.” Steve shook his head firmly. “You have mine. I haven’t had any of it yet and it’s still warm.” He handed it over and Bucky took it.

“You sure?” he said, already raising the cup to his lips. He caught Steve’s eye over the lid and Steve smiled again.

“Yeah, it’s the least I can do.”

Sighing at the taste, Bucky took a large gulp of black coffee and ruminated on the workings of fate.

***

That night Bucky did a little research. He googled PAFA and found a link to their website.

It seemed a pretty small non-profit organisation; they were state-wide and mostly run by volunteers. Their campaigns were ambitious though, and Bucky signed a few petitions to ban rodeo and factory farming.

He thought about Steve with the enormous pectorals and had to bite back a grin. Steve didn’t seem like your typical animal rights activist – not that Bucky had met many.

After the police had taken his statement, Steve had bought Bucky a second coffee and said about a thousand ‘sorry’s and ‘thank you’s until Bucky had said he’d be even later for work if Steve didn’t stop apologising. Then he’d said a hasty goodbye to Louise, who seemed shaken but calm, and jogged to work.

Although he hadn’t considered at the time, Bucky now wished that he’d thought to get Steve’s number. He had seemed nice, _and_ he was gorgeous. He briefly considered signing up to the volunteer list, if only in the hopes of meeting Steve at one of the actions, but that seemed a little creepy and Bucky was no activist. So he resigned himself to the likelihood that he wouldn’t see Steve again.

***

It only took a week for Bucky to be proved wrong.

“Bucky – hey, Bucky!”

Bucky spun around at the sound of his name. He was on his way home from a night shift and was exhausted from being on his feet for eight hours, but at the sight of Steve waving at him from across the street, placard in hand, a little bubble of pleased surprise burst within him and he waved back grinning.

Dodging an old Corolla, Bucky made his way over to where Steve was standing with a group of other activists, all bearing placards and wearing t-shirts with various animal rights slogans emblazoned across the front.

As he wove between the people he read a few of the placards: _Pigs are friends, not food_! _Ham is not my jam_! _Say no to bacon_! _Ban factory farming_!

He caught a glimpse of Louise, who was holding one end of a large homemade banner that read _Keep pork off your fork_! and depicted a pig kicking at an oversized fork with its hind legs. He waved at her and she responded with an enthusiastic grin.

“Hey,” he greeted as Steve came into view, his mouth turned up in that dazzling smile of his.

“Hey Bucky.” Steve clapped him on the shoulder. “You on your way to work?”

Bucky shook his head, a wave of fatigue washing over him again. “Ah, no. Just finished a shift.”

“Night shift? Geez. Where d’you work?”

“I’m a security guard,” Bucky said, pulling his badge out of his pocket to show Steve. “At a laboratory.”

“Laboratory?” Steve’s grin faltered a little.

“It’s diagnostics, mainly,” Bucky reassured him. “Blood samples and stuff, y’know? Not – uh – experiments or anything. I thought animal testing was illegal now anyway?”

“Oh, yeah, it is.” Steve nodded. “That’s good. Hey, we’re just about finished here – we’ve given the pork board a pretty good shake up I think. Do you wanna go get a coffee somewhere? I know a place not far from here.”

Surprised, Bucky took a moment to respond. Was Steve interested in him too?

Despite his exhaustion Bucky couldn’t pass up the offer. “Yeah, sure. That’d be good.”

He felt a little light-headed when Steve’s eyes lit up and his smile grew even more dazzling than before. “Awesome. I’m just gonna give my placard to Nat.” He slipped away for a second, passing the cardboard over to a slim, fierce looking woman with red hair who smiled at Steve and looked curiously over his shoulder at Bucky. They exchanged a few words and when Steve returned his cheeks were coloured a light shade of pink, which was both amusing and sweet.

“She forgiven you then?” Bucky teased after Steve had waved goodbye to his friends and they were rounding the corner onto the next street.

“Yeah. I thought she was going to flay me alive at first though.” Steve shrugged. “I would have deserved it.”

“It’s not your fault,” said Bucky gently.

Steve shot him a wry smile. “I shouldn’t have left though. I mean, we get yelled at sometimes, but I’ve never been threatened like that before.”

Bucky gave Steve an appraising look, glancing pointedly at his chest. “I can’t imagine why that is,” he said.

To his delight, Steve blushed an even brighter pink. Chuckling, he said, “you have a point there, I guess.”

“You think?” Bucky snorted. “Louise seems okay, at least.”

“Oh, yeah, she was a bit shaken up but she’s good. We are actually all trained for that kind of interaction.”

“Seriously? Like self-defence?”

Steve laughed. “Hah. No. Although I think Nat would be teaching us all kickboxing if she could. She’s the volunteer coordinator,” Steve added. “We have this theory that she used to be a spy because she knows about ten martial arts.”

“Wow.” Bucky was impressed. “Remind me never to piss her off.”

“If you do, you’re dead,” Steve assured him, eyes crinkling with amusement. “Anyway, here’s the place.”

They stepped through a door into a low-ceilinged room and immediately Bucky was enveloped by warmth and chattering voices. The café was small, with walls covered entirely in wacky artworks of all different genres. Steve led him up the counter and studied the specials board with interest. “They do the best vegan doughnuts here,” he told Bucky, now pointing at the cabinet food. “It’s the only place in this city I’ve ever been able to find them.”

“Doughnuts can be vegan?” Bucky said in surprise, and Steve grinned, nodding vigorously.

“’Course! Let’s get one; we can split it. What kind of coffee do you want?”

“Oh.” slightly overwhelmed by the noise, the smells, and the presence of Steve beside him, Bucky took a moment to respond. “Uh, just black. But I’ll get it.”

“No way.” Steve waved him off. “I still need to repay you properly for the other day. Go find us a seat.”

Normally, Bucky would have argued, but he was too tired to put any energy into it and let Steve buy the coffees while he went to find them a table. There was an empty one in the back corner and Bucky sunk into the chair gratefully, closing his eyes just for a second.

When he opened them, Steve was looming over the table, a slight crease between his brows. “You okay?” he asked, as Bucky rubbed his face, blinking in the light, feeling mortified.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired. It was a long night.”

Steve shook his head, placing the plate with the doughnut on in the middle of the table. “God, I’m sorry. You probably just want to be at home right now. We can do this another time if you want?”

“No, no. I –“ Bucky sat up a little straighter and shot Steve a smile. “I’m fine, I swear. The coffee will help.”

Steve sat down opposite Bucky, looking concerned, but also pleased. “If you’re sure.” He pushed the plate towards Bucky. “Try the doughnut. It’s seriously good.”

The doughnut was amazing, and Bucky said as much, earning another wide grin from Steve. “What is that? Coconut?” Bucky asked, pointing to the cream-like substance in the centre.

“Yeah. It’s good, right?”

“Mm.” Bucky agreed, taking another large bite.

The coffees arrived soon after, and once Bucky had taken his first sip he immediately felt more energised. He and Steve chatted idly for a while; it turned out that Steve had been involved in animal activism for five years, and he’d been vegan for three, but when he wasn’t saving animals from exploitation he worked as a freelance graphic designer.

“I’ve done a bit of work for PAFA over the years,” Steve told him. “But I’ve done all sorts of other stuff too. It’s not the most secure work in the world, but it’s what I always wanted to do so I’m happy.”

“That still doesn’t explain all the muscles,” Bucky said before he could stop himself.

Steve smirked, though the effect was somewhat lost when his cheeks coloured lightly. “I work out,” he said by way of explanation.

They talked until their coffees were almost finished. All that was left in Bucky’s cup were the cold dregs, which he swished in a circle absentmindedly; he was already feeling exhaustion creeping up on him again.

But Steve was leaning in a little, a curious but uncertain expression on his face. He saw him glance down at Bucky’s gloved hand where it rested on the table and then flicker back to his face.

Bucky knew what was coming next.

“Sorry if this is too personal,” he said, “and you don’t have to talk about it. But Louise mentioned that your hand is – metal?”

Bucky met Steve’s gaze and held it for a moment. Bucky didn’t really like to talk about it, that was true. He kept his arm covered for a reason. But somehow he didn’t mind that Steve was asking; he seemed curious, yes, but he was respectful too.

Slowly. Bucky ungloved his hand and rolled his sleeve all the way up to his elbow. “It’s actually my whole arm,” he said, flexing his fingers to demonstrate the mechanics. The plates whirred and resettled.

Steve’s eyes were wide. “Wow,” he breathed. “That’s incredible. Do you mind if I –“ he reached his hand out, eyes locked on Bucky’s.

“Uh,” Bucky blinked, unused to such a request. “Sure.”

Gently Steve touched the back of Bucky’s wrist and drew his fingers along the metal plates. The touch was light but Bucky could feel it acutely and he concentrated on controlling his breathing. Steve’s fingers trailed over the back of his hand and down one finger before pulling away. “It’s just like a real hand,” said Steve, amazed. “I’ve never seen a prosthetic like that.”

“It was sort of an experiment,” Bucky explained, rolling back his sleeve and returning the glove to his hand. “I used to do search and rescue and one day my team and I were looking for a missing climber on this ridge. There was a huge drop below us and I slipped and fell. I don’t remember after that but when I woke up I was one arm less. It was lucky that I was working for Hydra then – that’s the name of the lab I’m working for now – because they offered to fund experimental research into a more advanced prosthesis. It took them about a year to fine-tune the design, but when they did I could control it like any normal limb…” Bucky trailed off, suddenly aware that he’d been babbling. “And I can even feel touch, and pain.”

“Wow,” Steve said again. “That’s –“ he stopped, uncertain.

Bucky understood; what do you say to that anyway? “It’s okay,” he assured Steve. “It was a long time ago.” He yawned and Steve looked suddenly guilty.

“Hey, you should go get some sleep – sorry for talkin’ your ear off.”

Bucky nodded, getting up slowly from his chair and grimacing as his feet complained. “No, this was great, honestly. I was kinda hoping I’d run into you again anyway.”

“You were?” Steve visibly brightened and now it was Bucky’s turn to blush.

He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “Well, yeah.”

“We could do this again? If you wanted? I know all the best places to eat.” Steve grinned, his face full of hope.

Bucky melted a little. “I’d like that.”

“How about this weekend? We’re protesting outside a rodeo on Saturday afternoon but my Sunday’s totally free.”

“Sure,” Bucky agreed. “Sounds good.”

***

The rest of the week passed in a haze of work and sleep. Bucky was doing extra shifts because the lab was dealing with some unusually volatile chemicals and Pierce didn’t want to take any chances with security. He had Bucky on a twelve hour roster, and although he got a half hour break in each shift, he still always felt like a wreck at the end of the day.

Sometimes he resented Hydra for how hard they made him work, but he still felt he owed them.

By the time Saturday rolled around Bucky’s eyes were red-rimmed and his whole body felt stretched, like the skin over a drum. Still, he dragged himself out of bed and to work, where he stood vigilant at his post, watching big black cars drive in and out.

Finally he was relieved, and as soon as he got home he crashed, barely managing to remove his shoes before he fell asleep on top of the covers.

He woke to the sound of his phone buzzing in his pocket. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Bucky rolled over and pulled out his phone. There was a text from Steve.

_We still on for today?_

Bucky’s stomach swooped. It was nine already and he had agreed to meet Steve at ten in town. Groaning, Bucky closed his eyes for another second, holding the phone against his forehead while he decided what to do.

He wanted so badly to see Steve, but he felt as heavy as a sack of bricks and he was torn between getting up and staying in bed for the next twenty-four hours.

Slowly, regret rolling in his stomach, Bucky tapped out a reply.

_Hey, could we reschedule? I had a hell of a week. I’m really sorry. Want to see you but can’t get out of bed, haha…_

Steve’s reply came back almost immediately and Bucky grinned despite himself.

_Everything ok?_

_Yeah, just been working a lot. Need to rest I think._

Bucky flopped back against the pillows, but before he could drift off his phone buzzed again.

_I could come over? Only if you want obviously. We could watch a movie?_

Bucky’s heart swelled. He wasn’t sure exactly what this thing was with Steve, but he liked where it was heading. Even though he had originally planned to sleep for the rest of the day, Bucky found himself agreeing to Steve’s offer.

_Sure. Why not?_

He sent off his address and made himself get out of bed so he could at least shower before Steve arrived. Luckily Bucky didn’t own much stuff, so he didn’t need to tidy, but he gave the couch a bit of a spruce up all the same.

An hour later the intercom buzzed, and Bucky pressed the button to let Steve inside the building. A second passed before three loud knocks reverberated throughout the apartment, and Bucky opened the door to reveal Steve, whose face turned soft and concerned as soon as he caught sight of the dark shadows under Bucky’s eyes.

“Hey,” he said. “You do look tired. You sure you’re okay?”

Crumbling a little under Steve’s gentle gaze, Bucky nodded. “Yeah.” He stood aside to let Steve in, shutting the door quietly behind him. “How was the rodeo protest?” he asked, as Steve gazed around the room, which made up most of the apartment.

“It went well,” Steve said, turning his gaze back to Bucky. “We had a good turn out.” He held up his hand, in which he was clutching a brown paper bag. “Anyway, I brought doughnuts.”

“You’re amazing,” said Bucky sincerely, and Steve’s face flushed. “Here, I’ll put them on a plate.”

But Steve shook his head. “No, you go sit down, Buck. No offence, but you look terrible. I’ll get these sorted.”

“Ouch, the truth hurts,” said Bucky, huffing at Steve’s cheeky grin. “But I’m gonna take you up on that offer anyway. Plates are in that cupboard there.” Leaving Steve to sort the doughnuts, Bucky sank onto the couch and laid his head back, letting his eyes slide shut as he listened to Steve fiddling about at the kitchenette. Not long afterwards Bucky heard the unmistakable sound of a plate hitting the coffee table, and he opened his eyes to see Steve looking at him, that gentle expression on his face again

“You still wanna watch a movie?” Steve asked. “I brought The Prestige with me. But if you’d rather just rest, that’s okay too.”

Bucky smiled. “Nah, put it on. I love that film.”

Steve started the movie and they watched the first part in silence, chewing their doughnuts slowly. Half way through Bucky began to feel his eyelids drooping and he struggled to stay awake. Though they weren’t touching, Steve’s presence radiated warmth and Bucky felt as if some invisible rope was pulling him towards it. He sank closer and closer until he heard a faint rustle and then Steve’s voice in his ear murmuring, “ _sleep, Bucky_.”

His head fell onto Steve’s shoulder and he slipped into unconsciousness.

***

He woke to the sound of pages turning in a book.

Blinking bleary eyes, Bucky glanced round. His head was resting on Steve’s shoulder, and Steve was flicking through a paperback that he’d pulled from the bookshelf beside the couch.

“Uhm.” Bucky sat up. “What’s the time?” he asked groggily.

Steve pressed a button on his phone. “Three-thirty,” he said.

“Oh, God.” Bucky made an apologetic face at Steve. “Sorry, Steve. I didn’t mean to –“

But Steve didn’t seem annoyed. He was smiling softly, almost shy. “That’s all right. I should probably get going though, and you should get some more sleep. You’re not working tomorrow, are you?”

“Tomorrow night I am,” said Bucky, rolling his neck from side to side a little.

Steve frowned. “How come you’re workin’ so much?”

Bucky shrugged. “Lots going on at the lab at the moment, they need me.”

“If it’s just diagnostics, then why all the security? Seems a bit excessive for a laboratory.”

“Don’t ask me,” said Bucky. “All I know is that they deal with some fairly volatile substances and my boss doesn’t want to take any chances. They do other stuff, y’know. Not just diagnostics.”

“Right.” Steve didn’t look convinced. “It just doesn’t seem ethical, how much you have to work.”

“You of all people should know that world isn’t an ethical place, Steve,” said Bucky. “Besides, I’m fine. I’ll be as good as new by tomorrow evening. Just needa get some rest.”

At those words, Steve nodded resolutely and stood up from the couch. Bucky stood too and walked Steve to the door. They stared at each other awkwardly for a moment before Steve tugged Bucky in for a brief hug. “Look after yourself,” he told Bucky as they pulled apart.

Bucky rolled his eyes. “I will. Thanks for coming round. Sorry for –“ he gestured vaguely and Steve grinned.

“Anytime,” he said, opening the door. “I’ll text you.”

The door thumped shut and Bucky groaned, leaning his forehead against the wood. If that was a date, and Bucky was pretty sure it was, it was the most awkward date of Bucky’s life. Why had he thought it was a good idea for Steve to come over?

Cursing himself, Bucky shuffled back to bed.

***

Despite their horrendous first (or was it second?) date, Steve did indeed text Bucky the next day.

_Did you get some sleep?_ It read, quickly followed by another message: _Hope you’re feeling better._

Smiling to himself, Bucky texted back.

_Much better, thanks. Sorry bout yesterday._

_Don’t worry about it. We’re collecting signatures on Wednesday morning, usual spot. will I see you?_

Bucky looked over his roster for the week. He had a night shift tonight, then Tuesday off, and he would be working Wednesday morning, although he was starting a little later, incredibly.

_Yeah. But I’m starting at 10am. we could meet before? Coffee?_

Steve’s reply was almost instant.

_Awesome :) meet at 9?_

Bucky agreed, firing off a final text before dragging himself into the shower. He felt a little jittery, both excited and strangely nervous to see Steve again. There was something about him that made heat curl pleasantly in Bucky’s stomach; he was kind, and gentle, and his smile was nothing short of miraculous.

Wednesday came around quickly, and Bucky arrived at the spot where he had first encountered Steve fifteen minutes early. The street was busy; a lot of people were on their way to work, trudging unhappily to their various office jobs. All the same, Bucky caught sight of Steve easily; he was early too, and Bucky watched as he wended his way through the crowd, waving when he saw Bucky in the distance.

“How’re you?” Steve asked once he was standing in front of Bucky. He looked unusually shy, and Bucky felt a strong urge to reach out and touch him.

“Fine,” Bucky said, shrugging his shoulders. “Happy to see you again.”

Steve brightened. “Yeah?”

Chuckling, Bucky nodded. “Yeah. I wasn’t sure if you’d want to, after –“

“Ah.” Steve said, amused. “I really didn’t mind you know. I thought it was sort of…” he paused, and Bucky met his gaze.

“What?”

“Well, you know… it was kinda cute. You falling asleep on me, I mean.” He grinned.

Bucky could feel his ears turning pink. Mortified, he raised a hand to cover his face. “Oh geez. That must be have been the worst date you’ve ever had.”

“So it was a date then?”

“Um.” Bucky wet his lips. “Well. Yes? I mean, I thought so?” He felt, suddenly awkward again, like he was regressing back into a teenager. Taking a breath, he continued, “I mean, yeah, of course it was. I don’t fall asleep on just anyone, you know.”

Steve’s face lit up like a candle. “Oh. Good.” He was grinning widely. “So this is a date too then, right?”

Bucky snorted. “Yep.”

“Good,” Steve said again. “Shall we go then?”

They went to another café of Steve’s choosing, this one more modern, with minimalist décor and a few pot plants scattered about. Bucky liked it as soon as he stepped in the door. The layout was well thought out and it made Bucky feel sort of calm, peaceful.

Though nobody would know it, Steve assured Bucky that the place was one hundred per cent vegan, with nothing on the menu containing animal products. It was surprisingly busy though, and they only just managed to find a table once they’d got their usual coffees.

They talked easily for the next half hour or so; it turned out they had both grown up in Brooklyn, and they spent a fair amount of time reminiscing about old haunts.

At one point, Steve pulled out his phone to show Bucky one of his artworks. It was a painting of the Brooklyn skyline, and it was amazing; Bucky said so, making Steve flush with pleasure.

Bucky told Steve more about his past, how he’d trained in the police academy until he’d dropped out at the last minute and decided to become a security guard instead. He talked a bit about his sister, Becca, who was studying overseas. Steve listened raptly until Bucky ran out of things to say.

“I should probably go,” Bucky said, checking the time on his phone. “It’s still another ten minutes to work from here.”

Steve slid out of his seat. “I’ll walk you.”

They left the coffee shop together; their conversation had lapsed into silence, but Bucky didn’t feel awkward anymore. It was a comfortable silence that lasted until they were outside the gates of Hydra Laboratory. Steve looked up at the huge complex and then turned to Bucky, that dazzling smile on his face.

“Have a good day at work, then,” Steve said.

“Thanks,” Bucky breathed, returning Steve’s grin. “This was – nice. Could we do this again?”

“Definitely,” Steve agreed. Then he stepped closer and wrapped Bucky in his arms. He was warm and solid, and Bucky pressed back, feeling his heart thumping hard in his chest.

They came apart slowly, though Bucky resented that they had to. Before he could step back, however, Steve’s face turned towards his and he pressed his lips to Bucky’s in a tentative kiss.

Stomach swooping, Bucky returned the kiss, lifting a hand to press gently against Steve’s cheek. Steve’s lips were soft, and he made a quiet sighing noise as they pulled apart, which had Bucky wishing he could draw the moment out forever.

Grinning lopsidedly, and slightly weak at the knees, Bucky took a small step back. “What are you doing tomorrow?” he asked, a little breathless, and maybe a little eager.

Steve laughed lightly, his hands still framing Bucky’s elbows. “Lunch?”

“Lunch,” Bucky agreed. He shook his head to clear it. “I’ve really gotta go now. I’ll text you, all right?”

Steve nodded and Bucky turned towards the lab, lips still tingling with the memory of their kiss.


	2. Vivisection

It occurred to Bucky over the next few weeks that he was falling for Steve, and falling hard.

They’d barely seen each other since they’d had lunch the day after Steve had kissed him, but Bucky was pretty sure he hadn’t stopped thinking about Steve for more than five minutes since then.

He was ecstatic, then, when he finally had a day off, and Steve invited him to have dinner at his place. They were going to have the whole evening together, and this time, Bucky was not going to fall asleep. The night before their date, Bucky was working another twelve-hour shift, but he figured if he got some sleep during the day he’d be all good for the evening.

But that night there was an unusual amount of activity at Hydra Laboratory; cars drove in and out frequently, which struck Bucky as very strange. They were large, station wagon type vehicles with dark, tinted windows, and Bucky did a double take when he thought he saw the long snout of a dog through one of the windows. Shaking his head, Bucky figured he was just tired and he resumed his watch. Just to be sure, he phoned Pierce to see if he could find out what was going on.

On the phone Pierce sounded a little stressed, but also pleased about something. “Everything’s fine, Mr Barnes,” he said. “Nothing is amiss, I promise you. Actually, it’s good that you called,” he added. “Mr Stanley can’t come in tomorrow and I need you to cover his shift. Just a few hours in the afternoon, if you don’t mind.”

Bucky frowned in confusion. “Stanley? Isn’t he interior security?”

“Yes, Mr Barnes. But I’m sure you’re perfectly capable of doing his job for a few hours.”

“Yes, but –“ Bucky spluttered, his heart sinking. “Sir –“

“I would have thought that with all Hydra has done for you, you’d be more than willing to do this small favour for me, hm?” Pierce sounded quite friendly, but there was a dark, threatening undertone to his words that made Bucky feel small and powerless.

“Yes, sir,” he said, “of course.”

“Good. Thank you, Mr Barnes.” Pierce hung up and Bucky dropped the phone onto the desk, staring out the window of the security booth, frustration and exhaustion trickling through his body in equal measure.

If he had to work tomorrow afternoon, he might have to miss his date with Steve. The thought made his heart ache. For the first time since Hydra had given him a new arm, he felt that maybe they were taking advantage of him. But on the other hand, he thought, deflating a little, they had provided him with the most advanced prosthesis available, at no cost – he did owe them, in a way. It wasn’t like they didn’t pay him, after all.

Bucky would just have to text Steve in the morning. He would understand, though it would kill Bucky to cancel.

***

About five seconds after Bucky sent the text explaining that he couldn’t make their date, Steve called.

“Hello?” Bucky said, pressing the phone firmly to his ear in a vain attempt at blocking out the sounds of the traffic as he walked to the bus stop.

“Bucky, hey! What’s going on? Is everything okay at work?”

Mustering up his last vestiges of energy, Bucky tried to make his voice sound less exhausted than he felt. “Yeah, it’s just that my boss needs me to cover for someone tomorrow afternoon. I’m really sorry Steve.” He bit his lip, suddenly feeling awful for letting Steve down. “I didn’t feel like I could say no.”

“But you’ve just been working all night! How can they expect you to come in again so soon after your shift?”

“It’s not their fault,” said Bucky automatically. “Anyway, I owe them.”

Steve was silent for a second. “Bucky –“ A sigh, then, “Bucky, they can’t treat you like this. I’m sure it must be illegal or something.”

“It’s honestly fine,” Bucky said. “I can get some sleep in the next few hours. I don’t have to be there until three.”

“It’s not fine!” Steve burst out. “Sorry,” he continued, in a quieter voice. “I mean – it’s just I was really looking forward to tonight.”

“Me too,” Bucky breathed. “God – I really am sorry.”

“It’s okay, Buck.” Steve sighed. “What about tomorrow evening instead?”

“Yeah, I can do that. I promise, Steve.”

Steve laughed softly. “Go get some sleep now, all right?”

“I will. See you.”

“Bye, Bucky.”

Bucky hit the red button and stuffed his phone back into his pocket. He wasn’t being fair to Steve, and it occurred to him that if he wanted this thing to work, he would need to cut down on his hours. The thought was a tempting one, but he knew it would be difficult to ask, knew that Pierce would be disappointed. Still the possibility of spending whole days with Steve was a strong motivator, and Bucky resolved to ask for some time off at least.

When Bucky arrived home he went to bed straightaway, but he slept fitfully, and when he woke he felt no less tired than before. All the same, he dragged himself out of bed and to the bus stop, all the while thinking about Steve.

Pierce was waiting for him when he got to work. This was unusual, and Bucky felt uneasiness prickling at the back of his neck. “Sir,” he said, “is something wrong?”

But Pierce shook his head. “No, Mr Barnes, but I’d like to have a chat with you before we go inside. If that’s all right with you.”

“Of course,” Bucky nodded, following Pierce inside the security booth.

“Mr Barnes,” Pierce began, catching Bucky’s eye and giving him a friendly smile. “You’ve been a loyal employee of Hydra’s for nearly a decade now. It is time that we repaid you for all your hard work.”

Bucky stared. “Sir?” he asked, feeling uncertain.

“I am offering you a promotion, Mr Barnes. Hydra Labs is in need of a new interior security officer, and I want you for the job.”

“Me? What about Stanley?”

Pierce gave a sort of sad, apologetic smile. “Mr Stanley no longer works for Hydra.”

“Oh.” Bucky sat on this for a moment. Pierce wanted to promote him? Wasn’t this exactly what he’d been trying to avoid? “Uh – well – thank you, sir. But what sort of hours will I be working? It’s just I was actually thinking about working a little less.”

Pierce’s eyes lost their friendly warmth, though his smile remained fixed in place. “Is that so? Perhaps I should remind you, Mr Barnes, of all that Hydra has done for you over the years, not least your state-of-the-art prosthetic.”

A shiver ran up Bucky’s spine.

“Think about my offer, Mr Barnes. Today you will have a, shall we say, trial run. After that I will expect you to have made your decision. We are counting on you,” Pierce added, giving Bucky a severe, expectant look. “Don’t disappoint me.”

“I –“ Bucky felt trapped; he didn’t know what to do. “Yes, sir.”

Pierce nodded approvingly and led Bucky out of the booth and towards the building. They walked in silence, and Bucky thought about what Pierce had said. It all seemed very odd. What had happened to Stanley? Just this morning Pierce had said he was only covering for him for one shift – now he was not a Hydra employee at all. What was going on?

Once inside the cool, sterile interior of the lab, Pierce led Bucky to the left and up a flight of stairs. They proceeded down a wide corridor and Bucky caught glimpses of large labs, with microscopes, Bunsen burners, tripods, and all sorts of other scientific equipment set up on the tables.

They reached a closed door and Pierce turned to face Bucky once more. “Mr Barnes. I think now is a prudent time to remind you that when you agreed to work for us, you signed a confidentiality agreement. That means that whatever you see in this room, you are not to tell anyone. Do you understand? We are working on some of the most delicate and significant scientific experiments the world has ever seen, and secrecy is of the utmost importance. I need your word that you will not share what you have seen with anybody. Do I have it?”

“I – what?” Bucky spluttered, completely thrown. “I’m not sure I understand, sir.”

Pierce’s eyes glittered menacingly. He had always been a formidable man, but Bucky was actually a little frightened by the sinister way he was acting. “Mr Barnes. Three years ago you lost your arm in a terrible accident. Hydra kindly made you a new one. But do not think we cannot just as easily take it away.”

This was a cruel barb, and Bucky swallowed, nauseated. “You have my word, sir,” he said, and Pierce smiled coldly.

“Good. I will show you to your post.”

He pushed open the door to the lab and stepped aside to let Bucky in.

Bucky gasped, horror filling him.

The room was not a lab at all. Instead it was stacked full of cages, all containing cowering animals of all kinds. Dogs, rats, guinea pigs, even monkeys. Bucky felt sick, but Pierce did not stop to look; he led Bucky up a short flight of stairs to a mezzanine landing, from where Bucky could see the layout of the floor below. To the left was another room, in which lab-coated scientists were milling about, some holding animals that they were injecting with various fluids. Bucky caught sight of a large dog whose legs were made of metal; It was snapping its jaws ferociously, snarling as nearby scientists scribbled observations on clipboards.

Bucky wanted to puke, but when Pierce turned his eyes on Bucky, he retreated within himself, hiding all emotion behind a mask.

“This is your post; your job is to watch the animals and respond if there are any incidents. You are to go to the aid of the scientists if they should need any assistance controlling the animals. Is that clear?”

Bucky nodded, his face stoic, and Pierce smiled approvingly. “You are a loyal employee, Mr Barnes. Your cooperation is a huge help to our work here.”

With those words, Pierce descended the stairs again and moved into the next room where the experiments were taking place. Horror and revulsion filled Bucky; he didn’t know what Hydra was doing with these animals, but it was sick, and twisted, and Bucky knew it was illegal. So, incredibly, illegal.

He thought about Steve. What would he do if he knew Hydra was testing on animals illegally?

He’d protest until they were forced to stop, Bucky thought. But Bucky was complicit now, and sworn to secrecy with the threat of losing his arm looming over his head.

Still, he knew one thing. He would have to tell Steve. He just hoped he’d be able to help.

***

After his shift Bucky was on the phone to Steve as soon as he was a safe enough distance from the lab. It was late, but Steve answered quickly. “Bucky?”

Bucky collapsed against a brick wall and pressed his face into his bent knees. “Steve,” he said, unable to keep the panic out of his voice. “Um. Can I come over?”

“Yeah, ’course. Bucky – what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“Uhh,” Bucky chuckled hoarsely. “I’ll tell you when I get there. Just –“ He forced himself to take a deep breath.

“Bucky, did something happen? Where are you? I can come and get you.”

Bucky focussed on Steve’s clear, gentle voice as he breathed in and out through his mouth. “No, that’s okay. I, um. I’ll see you soon.” He hung up and put the phone away. Slowly he stood up and leaned against the wall for a minute or two.

Steve’s place was only a short ride away on the Subway, and fifteen minutes later Bucky was standing outside his apartment building with no recollection of how he’d got there. Blinking in the lamplight, Bucky buzzed the intercom and sighed with relief when Steve answered straightaway. “Hold on,” he said. “I’ll let you in.”

The door clicked open and Bucky pushed inside. He barely paid any attention to his surroundings as he walked up the stairs to Steve’s apartment on the third floor. Before he’d even had a chance to knock, Steve threw the door open, his eyes wide and filled with worry.

He must have read something in Bucky’s face, for the next minute he was being pulled into a tight hug, Steve’s arms wrapping firmly around Bucky’s back and shoulders. Bucky leaned into it, pressing his face into Steve’s neck. “Hey,” Steve said, pulling Bucky inside. “What happened?” He led Bucky over to a blue couch and gently pushed him onto the cushions.

Bucky’s head was pounding. He looked up at Steve, who was hovering over him, his mouth turned down in an anxious frown. The sight of Steve’s tousled hair sent a wave of calm floating through Bucky, and he managed to unlatch his tongue from behind his teeth long enough to tell Steve what he had seen.

By the end, Steve had sat down on the couch beside Bucky, his hands clenched into fists. There were two angry pink blotches on his cheeks and he was staring at Bucky with a mixture of horror, rage, and sympathy.

“I don’t know what to do,” Bucky said finally, letting his head fall into his hands. “I had no idea Hydra was working on stuff like that. How could I have missed it?” He groaned. “And now I’m complicit, even if I don’t want to be.”

“Hey, no,” Steve’s hand found Bucky’s shoulder and squeezed it gently. “You’re not a part of this, got that? You didn’t know this was happening.” Steve leaned in closer, enveloping Bucky against his chest and kissing his forehead. “We can figure out what to do tomorrow. I think we should both get some sleep now. You can take my bed, if you like. I don’t mind sleeping on the couch.”

Bucky nodded, silently agreeing, and Steve showed him where the bedroom was, gave him an old t-shirt and some pants to wear to bed. Before they parted, Steve pulled Bucky in for another warm hug and Bucky sighed against him; exhaustion had crept up on him like a pouncing cat.

But when Bucky lay down between sheets that smelt faintly of Steve, he found that he could not sleep. The image of the dog with metal legs kept resurfacing in his mind, its terrified eyes wide as it snarled and strained at its chain. Bucky flexed his own metal arm, wondering if they had used the same technology on the dog as they had on him. The thought made him shudder.

Slowly, he pulled back the covers and made his way out of the bedroom. In the living room, Steve was draped over the couch, one arm hanging limply over the floor. Bucky sat down on the carpet and leaned his back against the couch, so that his and Steve’s faces were nearly touching.

Steve snuffled and blinked awake, his eyes coming to rest on Bucky’s face. He smiled softly and murmured a sleepy “hello.”

Bucky leaned in and kissed him on the lips, sealing their mouths together. Steve’s breath hitched and his arm came up to frame Bucky’s jaw, tracing a smooth line down his cheek and neck, and coming to rest on his chest.

They pulled apart with a slightly wet sound and Steve ran his hand through Bucky’s hair. “Can’t sleep, huh?”

“Nope,” Bucky confirmed.

Steve sat up, stretching his muscular arms above his head. He gestured to the space beside him and Bucky clambered onto the couch, settling comfortably against Steve’s sleep-warm side. Steve nuzzled Bucky’s hair sleepily, arms moving to wrap snugly around Bucky. “D’you wanna talk?”

Bucky was still for a moment; he stared at the pencils littering the coffee table, wondering whether Steve had been drawing before Bucky arrived.

“One of the dogs they were experimenting on… it had metal legs.” He lifted his arm and watched as the plates reshuffled. “Like my arm.”

Steve was silent, but he was watching Bucky with a small frown.

“I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Can’t get the image of that damned dog outta my head. It’s the same tech – I know it. I think they’re connected, but I don’t know how, or why.” He worried at his bottom lip. “After they replaced my arm, they shut down the experiment; they said the resources required were too expensive to import on a large scale, and that the model simply wasn’t an economical alternative to normal prosthetics.” Bucky looked up at Steve’s pure, lovely face. “But what if they did continue the experiments – but underground? With a different purpose? They could have been doing this for years.”

Steve looked anguished, but his hands were warm and gentle when he placed them either side of Bucky’s face. “We don’t know that, Buck,” he said softly.

“This entire time,” Bucky continued, “I thought the arm was a gift, but I was wrong. It was just an experiment. A sick, twisted, human experiment. And I let them do it.”

“Hey. No.” Steve shook his head. “This isn’t on you. Don’t blame yourself, Buck. Whatever Hydra’s doing, whatever they’ve been doing – you didn’t know. They offered you an opportunity and you took it; there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Bucky knew that Steve was right, so why did he still feel sick to the pit of his stomach?

“C’mon, Bucky. Let’s get some sleep.” They shuffled so they were both lying face to face on the couch. The cushions were narrow, and Bucky was nearly falling over the edge, but it was comforting, lying next to Steve, his palms splayed over Bucky’s shoulder blades and holding him secure. Despite the thoughts whirling in his head, Bucky fell into a deep sleep.

***

In the morning Steve took Bucky to the PAFA office to see Natasha. The office was really no more than a tiny room with two desks and a bench with a sink. When they arrived Natasha was typing on a laptop at her desk, eyes narrowed as she concentrated hard on something.

She looked up when they arrived but if she was surprised to see them, she masked it well. “Hello, Steve,” she said. “And – Bucky, was it?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“It’s good to finally meet you.” She shot a glance at Steve, then said, “you’re quite the hero around here.”

Bucky blinked. “It was nothing. Anyone would have done the same.”

“You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” said Natasha as she got up from the desk. “So is there a reason you’re visiting me in my office this early or were you just… passing through?”

Steve rolled his eyes, but then his expression turned serious. “Actually, yeah.” He nodded at Bucky. “Maybe we could sit down? Where’s Sam?”

“He’s coming in later.” She gestured to some spare seats and they all sat down. “So?” she prompted, and Steve stared pointedly at Bucky.

Haltingly, Bucky told Natasha what he’d seen at the laboratory the day before. By the time he’d finished the colour had drained from Natasha’s face and she looked quite ill. She sat at her desk in silence, eyes still locked on Bucky’s.

“What should we do?” Steve asked at last, jolting them all back to the present.

Natasha gazed down at her slender fingers. “Take them down,” she said, in a low, husky voice, which Bucky had to strain to catch. Then she looked up at Bucky again. “You have to tell the police what you’ve seen. If the information doesn’t come from you, they won’t know you weren’t a part of it.” She turned to Steve. “There’s not a whole lot we can do right now. But once Hydra’s caught we can make sure they get the sentence they deserve.”

“Right.” Steve’s fists were clenched tightly in his lap.

“When’s your next shift?” Natasha asked Bucky.

“Uh. Tonight.”

“Okay.” Natasha nodded. “Good. You should call the police now. Tell them everything you know. Don’t be anonymous; they need to know it was you who gave them the information. Got it?” She handed him a phone.

Bucky took it. He nodded once and she stood up, grabbing her wallet from the inside of her bag. “I’m going to get coffees. Good luck.”

She vanished out the door, leaving Steve and Bucky alone, both staring at the phone in Bucky’s hands. Slowly, Bucky looked up at Steve.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” he said.

Steve got up from his chair and kneeled in front of Bucky; he gripped Bucky’s knees with his fingers. “You can, Buck. I know you can.”

Looking into Steve’s determined eyes, Bucky felt a sliver of confidence seep into his body. “Okay,” he said. “Yeah – I can do this.” He dialled the number but his finger hovered over the call button, unable to press down.

Gently, Steve curled his own hand around Bucky’s and gave it a little squeeze. “You’ve got this,” he said, and with a deep, steeling breath, Bucky pressed the button.

***

Although the policewoman who spoke to Bucky seemed sceptical at first, by the time he’d finished telling her everything she had agreed to pass the information on to her superior officer. An hour later Bucky had received a call from the police chief, a stern sounding woman who told him that they would be conducting a raid on the Hydra laboratory based on his information. In the meantime, she told him to go to work as normal, a prospect that set Bucky’s nerves on edge.

She was right, though. If Bucky failed to turn up for work the day after he’d been shown such damning secrets, he had no doubt that Hydra would guess what he’d done and pack up right away.

By the time Bucky had finished giving all his details to the police, Sam had arrived. He listened with patient horror as Bucky went through it all over again, and after Bucky had fallen silent, Sam looked at Steve and said, “what the fuck?”

Steve just shrugged his broad shoulders and shot him a look that said, _yeah, I know, right_?

Bucky felt exhausted; he let Steve bundle him into a taxi and curled against his side as the car made its slow way through the city.

Inside Bucky’s apartment, Steve made sandwiches for them both and they ate in unbroken silence. Bucky’s mouth felt like rubber, but the sandwich was good, and he thanked God for this ridiculously gorgeous man whose calm demeanour was saving Bucky’s life at this moment.

Steve stayed with him until it was time to go to work. Bucky felt jumpy; he couldn’t help thinking that everything he’d done to betray Hydra was written all over his face, and that they would know as soon as he arrived at the lab. He wondered what they would do to him.

At the bus stop, Steve pulled Bucky into a lengthy hug, kissing the top of his head and then his mouth. “You’re gonna be fine,” he told him. “Call the police if anything happens, okay? And then call me,” he added.

Nodding, Bucky gave him a swift smile and boarded the bus. Steve waved as he disappeared around the corner, and all at once Bucky felt, quite inexplicably, completely alone.

His phone buzzed.

_You got this._

It was from Steve. Bucky stared at the text for a long minute. He felt a tiny smile blooming on his face. He wasn’t alone; he had Steve.

***

Just like the previous day, Pierce was waiting for him at the gate when Bucky arrived at the lab. Bucky’s heart jolted nervously but Pierce didn’t seem angry, and he gave no indication that he knew about Bucky’s betrayal.

“I think you know what I’m going to ask,” Pierce said, his cold smile sending a shiver up Bucky’s spine.

“Yes, sir.”

“So what is your decision?”

Bucky took a deep breath. He had no choice, yet the words stuck like glue in his throat. “I’ll take the position, sir.”

The words hung like smoke in the air for a minute, and Bucky felt a sickness welling up in his gut.

“Excellent,” Pierce said coolly. “Then I shall let you get to work. As always, your loyalty is _much_ appreciated.”

Pierce strode away, and Bucky headed towards the main facility. Inside, he made his way through to the lab that was to be his new post and pressed his thumb to the white panel beside the door. With a soft click and a swishing sound, the door opened and Bucky slipped inside. He was immediately met by the sound of barking, and closing his ears to the heartbreaking sounds, he climbed the steps to his lookout.

The hours trickled by without incident, and Bucky did his best to keep an eye on the cages and neighbouring room without focussing too much on what was happening. Yet however much he tried, he couldn’t block everything out, and when he caught sight of the dog with the metal legs for the second time, he found that he couldn’t look away.

The scientists were leading the dog towards one of the cages. Unlike the last time, the dog was now quite docile, walking calmly beside a white-coated man at the end of a chain. Another scientists observed from afar, and when the dog had disappeared back into its cage, the observing scientist approached and stood beside the other. Bucky was close enough to hear their conversation.

“Amazing,” said one. “The serum seems to be working.”

“Yes.” The other man nodded. “With some adjustments we will have them fully weaponised in less than a month.”

Bucky’s blood ran cold.

Weaponised?

All at once, Bucky realised that whatever Hydra was working on, it was far bigger than prosthetics. They were producing something much more dangerous.

Living weapons.

Bucky looked down at his own metal arm. Had he been the beginning? What if they had given him this – serum? Would he have been as docile and malleable as that dog down there? He shuddered.

The scientists had turned away, but at that moment a small light lit up on the control panel beside Bucky’s head. The little bulb labelled ‘main door’ was blinking with urgency, signalling that the entrance to the facility had been breached without the proper authority.

Sure enough, a minute later an alarm began to sound. Bucky leapt up from his seat, adrenaline flooding his veins.

The many scientists working in the lab began to shout, all scrambling to cover up their experiments. Amidst the turmoil, a number of animals leapt out of their captors’ grips and ran wildly around the room, screaming with terror; many had metal limbs, but none were so docile as the dog.

Bucky hurtled down the steps and opened the door to the lab from the outside so the police could enter quickly. Then he jogged to the main lab area and tried to ascertain what was going on.

The men and women were all scrambling to erase records of their illegal experiments; not that there was any point – the animals were proof enough of their activities. Nobody was paying the slightest bit of attention to Bucky, and he picked up a handful of newborn puppies that were wriggling about on a table, their eyes not even open.

Swiftly, Bucky slipped from the room and looked around wildly at the cages next door. Then he heard a dog yelp; the mother was looking right at him, her paws scrabbling at the bars of her cage as she struggled to get to her pups. Bucky got down on his knees and gently placed the puppies back at their mother’s teats. She growled, but as soon as the puppies were returned she ignored him and licked their little heads anxiously.

Bucky stood.

“Well,” said a voice. “I see I have made a grave error.”

Pierce was standing behind him, a cruel glint in his unfriendly face, a glittering pistol in his steady hands. “Mr Barnes,” the gun clicked as he removed the safety. “I expected more from you.”

Bucky saw a group of men and women enter the room behind Pierce, all dressed in vests and carrying guns, which they pointed at Pierce’s back.

“Mr Pierce,” rang a clear, female voice. “Put the gun down. Now.”

Mr Pierce twitched, but he did not lower his gun. He was staring at Bucky with a mixture of annoyance and expectation.

“Don’t you have anything to say for yourself, Mr Barnes?” he asked. “You have destroyed the most important scientific work of the century.”

Bucky was rooted to the spot. He could hear the faint sounds of the puppies whimpering behind him, but he couldn’t look away from the gun that was pointed right at his head. He flicked his eyes to Pierce’s and felt a great surge of rage well up inside him.

“Go to hell,” he said, and ducked.

The room exploded.

Or, several guns fired at once. Bucky had thrown himself over the puppies’ cage and was waiting for the inevitable bullet.

But it never came.

After the initial firing there was shouting, then silence. Bucky looked up to see Pierce lying face down on the floor, a pool of blood issuing from his back. A policewoman was standing over him, while the others ran forward to apprehend the scientists in the next room.

There was more shouting, but no more gunshots, and Bucky picked himself up off the cage hesitantly.

Someone approached him, an older policeman with a greying beard. “You must be Mr Barnes?” he asked, and Bucky nodded. “Come with me,” he said. “We’ll let the professionals finish up here.”

“But –“ Bucky looked behind him at the rows of cages, inside which animals were cowering in fear. “The animals?”

The man smiled. “We’ll see that they get out safely. Please, I need you to come with me.”

Bucky hesitated for a second more, but left the room with the policeman and emerged into the cool, evening air, where a squad of police vehicles and ambulances were waiting. Bucky was ushered over to a waiting paramedic, who checked to make sure he wasn’t injured.

When he was given the all clear, Bucky gave his initial statement to the police. Then, finally, he was allowed to go home.

He stumbled out of the police cordon, feeling dazed and winded. He leaned against a tree and took a few, deep calming breaths, though the oxygen seemed to stick in his throat.

“Bucky!” A voice penetrated the quiet street and Bucky looked up abruptly to see Steve running towards him. They collided in a tangle of limbs and Bucky all but melted into Steve.

“I heard on the news,” Steve said breathlessly, pulling Bucky even tighter against him. “They said there had been gunshots and I thought –“ He shuddered. “But you’re okay.”

Bucky nodded. “’M fine,” he said, voice muffled by Steve’s hoodie. “Pierce is dead.”

Steve pulled away a fraction so he could get a good look at Bucky. “Let’s go back to my place,” he said, brushing Bucky’s hair away from his eyes. “I think you could use some sleep.”

But Bucky shook his head; he could still feel the adrenaline pumping through him. “I couldn’t sleep now even if I wanted to.” His lips twitched into a grin. “Let’s go get doughnuts.”

Steve smiled back. “Sounds good to me.”


	3. Epilogue

“Go get it, Toby!” Sam threw the ball high in the air and the whippet hurtled after it, tongue flapping madly as he leapt into the air to catch it on its downward arc.

“Nice!” Sam cheered, and Toby barked happily, sprinting back to Sam and dropping the ball at his feet. “That’s one hell of a dog,” he told Bucky, who was watching with undisguised amusement.

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

Sam threw the ball again, laughing loudly as Toby did a kind of somersault to catch it, his metal legs flailing through the air.

“Such grace,” said Steve, who was standing behind Bucky, his arms snaking around his hips.

Bucky snorted and tilted his head so he could give Steve an offended stare. “He _is_ graceful, I’ll have you know.”

Steve smirked. “Oh, yes. Just like you.”

Feigning outrage, Bucky stuck his tongue in Steve’s ear, earning him an undignified squeak.

“You two are disgusting,” said Natasha’s voice from nearby, and Bucky pulled his tongue out of Steve’s ear, twisting to grin at her.

“That’s a compliment, coming from you,” he said, and she scowled, though her eyes sparkled with amusement.

“It is amazing,” she continued, “how well he’s recovered.”

Bucky turned his gaze back to Toby, who was now sniffing interestedly at a patch of grass. “Yeah,” he agreed. “It’s been a long road, but we got there in the end.”

Steve hummed and nuzzled Bucky’s jaw. “He couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Well,” Bucky said, lifting his metal limb, “We are brothers in _arms_ , you know.”

Steve thunked his head against Bucky’s neck and groaned. “ _Why_ ,” he said.

“Terrible,” Natasha agreed.

Bucky grinned.

In the distance, Toby barked happily at some passing pigeons. He lifted a paw in the air, silver metal glinting in the sunlight, and the fleeting spark reflected for a second in Bucky’s own synthetic limb.


End file.
